2013 Legislative Session
Please see the list of bills below that pertain to Hawaiian language education. The bills specific to Hawaiian Language Immersion education are in red. Click on the bill number below and go to HAWAIʻI STATE LEGISLATURE website or click here to go the the Hawaiʻi State Legislature home page: http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov
HB224 HD1
A new draft of the Assessment bill (being heard tomorrow 2-13-13) has been amended to specify some new characteristics of the assessment. I am requesting that we support the older draft of the bill NOT this new one for fear that we are being trapped into a more specific assessment. We must amend the bill to its older version. Here is a brief overview;
The assessment form has been specified now to match the tests developed the the Smarter Balance Consortium. This has NOT been discussed by our Immersion community and has not been determined as a match for our language and curriculum. This form is NOT federally mandated...this is the State's choice.
The testing year has been moved up by one year, implementing in 2014-15. Is this enough time to properly discuss, develop, vet and implement a proper assessment? ABSOLUTELY NOT.
New terminology states that the DOE SHALL also work with
"any contractor" in the assessment development process. We did NOT discuss that.
ALSO, I now believe that the bill is also too specific about common core state standards. The intention of this bill is to develop policy that will last past our current DOE administration AND our particular type of standard (i.e HCPS, common core). If we mandate to have common core as the standard of the assessment in law then we will be bound to these standards even after the DOE implements new standards- years down the road, as our educational past has taught us.
PLEASE compare the drafts and decide whether or NOT you would like to support this new legislation. He mau manaʻo wale nō kēia...e nānā pū kākou i nā mea i loli.
SB410 PLEASE SEND TESTIMONY TO SENATOR TOKUDA ON MONDAY, 2-11-13 TO ASK HER TO FILE THIS BILL SO THAT IT CAN BE HEARD BY THIS WEDNESDAY, 2-13-13. IF IT IS NOT HEARD BY WEDNESDAY, IT IS DEAD! FIND THE LINK TO SENATOR TOKUDAʻS EMAIL BELOW. ALSO, CLICK ON THE BILL TO SUBMIT TESTIMONY ON LINE. PLEASE SEE THE EMAIL FROM THE NATIVE HAWAIIAN CAUCUS:
ACTION NEEDED!!!
Aloha mai kakou,
The Native Hawaiian Caucus would like to seek your support on a very important matter moving through the legislature. SB410 addresses the Hawaiian language immersion assessment exams administered to immersion students grades 3-6. This bill aims to correct the flawed exams that are currently administered to immersion school students. (More background information can be found at the bottom of this message.)
The companion bill, HB 224 is moving through the house, but it does not have an easy path as it has been triple referred. In the Senate, the bill has not been scheduled for its first hearing because the Education committee chair, Sen. Jill Tokuda, has stated that she wants to wait for the House version of the bill to cross-over.
The Native Hawaiian Caucus made this bill one of its highest priority bills at the out-set of session and feels that waiting on this matter is unnecessary and jeopardizes the passage of this measure. All parties that this bill most closely impact are in support of this measure, that being, the immersion school community, Department of Education, The Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and the Hawaiian community by-and-large.
Please contact Sen. Tokuda’s office to urge her to schedule the joint hearing on SB410 with the committee on Tourism and Hawaiian Affairs. The intent of this bill supports perpetuation of the Hawaiian language and the fair and equitable testing of Hawaiian language immersion students.
Email: sentokuda@capitol.hawaii.gov<mailto:sentokuda@capitol.hawaii.gov>
Phone: 587-7215
Mahalo on behalf of the Native Hawaiian Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaii.
SB481 ʻAHA KAULEO HAS VOTED TO NOT SUPPORT THIS BILL. AKL DID NOT DEVELOP THIS BILL AND HAS NOT HAD ANY DISCUSSION WITH THE PROPOSERS.